WINE BY THE GLASS PROGRAM SELECTIONS
Generally, when it comes to creating a wine by the glass program, the more offerings the more attractive it is for customers. A large wine by the glass selection, gives customers a unique possibility to taste different wines that originate from wine regions worldwide and cost a range of prices.
A strong BGT program features around at least 8 different wines. While customers may love an exhaustive list of wines to choose from, offering any less than 8 wines is unlikely to make your program profitable.
However, every time you pop open a bottle to pour a glass of wine, it’s essential that you think of ways to finish it as quickly as possible. If you have more than 12 BTG wines on your menu, this can become a great obstacle to achieving maximum profitability.
The simplest wine by the glass program offers two wines, which are usually a house red and house white. Sometimes house wine offerings also include sparkling wine. However, only having two to three BTG wines on your list may be off-putting for customers.
Some restaurants and bars don’t offer standard house wines, instead providing customers with a wider choice of premium varietals by the glass. These wines by the glass are generally higher quality than standard house wines. They’re also usually available by the bottle.
A good idea is to use a house red and house white to start your BTG wine list and scale up from there. Once you choose your house red and house white, you can add more variety, such as medium-priced reds and whites and premium-priced glasses too.
Once you have more wines in your program, you have more flexibility to include new varietals. For example, if you have four reds on the list, you may offer two merlots, one pinot noir, and one cabernet sauvignons. The same goes for whites too.
Most restaurants and bars rotate their offerings every three or six months, depending on the popularity of the WBG program. Three months is long enough to learn which wines are selling and which aren’t.
It’s also an excellent way to check up on the 80/20 rule in effect. This rule determines that 20% of the wines found on your BTG menu drive 80% of your total BTG wine program profits. As a restaurant or bar owner, it’s your responsibility to focus on these top 20% wines and learn how to rotate new varieties for the other 80%.
Tracking these figures and noticing patterns and trends is essential for marketing your BTG program well.
Depending on the venue, wine by the glass selections varies from entry-level house wines to expensive fine wines.
Your BTG wines should be some of your most popular wines, so the bottles are likely to be drunk quickly. After all, you don’t want to store half-empty wine bottles for extended periods as they may spoil without the proper technology.
